15 de octubre de 2009

One of his reviewers wrote that Dahl’s stories for adults were "bizarre, inventive, clever, imaginative, spinechilling…For kindness and pleasantries, I suggest you look elsewhere.”This anthology of short stories is perfect if you enjoy stories with a twist, and we hope you will appreciate the uncanny ability Dahl has to take a predictable situation and "twist" it in a disturbing way.

153 comentarios:

Carmen
dijo...

Hello Folks, we sincerely hope that you enjoy these short stories and that they help you learn this fantastic (also very useful!) language and help develop in you a liking and anjoyment of literature. "Comments Ahoy!"

A very good comment, Marta, yes it is surprisisng that one´s father can do this to you...but then how often do we see children battered, paicoligically abused by their parents, used, abused, sold by their parnets, some had children so they could be looked after in their old age, and funnily enough the children did it!!! So if we stop to think about this it may turn out that it is not surprising. How many have been "used" by our parents? Any of you we could discuss this in the classroom, just in case we have some inquisitive parents poking their noses in our blog!!!!I´m not, however ifn favour of this modern mania of bringing up children in the belief that they demigods, this is ridiculous they have DUTIES as we all have, so those of you who are still "at the mercy" of your parents think about this, too.

I finished reading "Taste" yesterday. Since that moment, I'm thinking about the end of the story, an unexpected end because when I was reading the previous pages I couldn't imagine which it would be.

On the one hand, the father doesn't deserve the father tittle; his principles are contemptible. He uses to his own daughter to boost his proud, his arrogance; but on the other hand, the play hasn't been fair because the other "adult", R. Pratt, cheated to get his prize, a young lady.

Again women is treated like an object. Who is more guilty?

Perhaps if we thought of the others before to open our mouth, we wouldn't make a fool of oneself.

The last year, I used to do a lot of posts in the cinema blog, but now it´s closed. What a pity, I loved it. Is difficult to me make commentaries this year because I don´t have the Internet at home now, only at the work, and you can´t make this kind of things while you are working. About the book, I have read several of the tales of this book (Tales of the Unexpected) when I was at the high school. Lamb to the Slaughter made me think about a film by Pedro Almodóvar, Qué he hecho yo para merecer esto. I have read, also, several things of Roald Dahl, in Spanish, but not when I was a child, or teenager, but when I was 20. The books were Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (I have seen the old version film of this book), The Witches, Mathilda (I have seen the film, too) and The Twisters (in Spanish, Los Cretinos), I think that was the best. But I don´t really like this writer, or books. I agree with Carmen, they are for teenagers. The book that we had to read the last year didn´t like me, too. I think that, because is Edgar Allan Poe year, we should read a book written by him, I like so much this writter. I think is not too much difficult, I have read some of his tales (Ligeia) in English, and some of his poems in English.

When I had this book in my hands ans saw the type of letters I thought it would be very hard. But after read two chapters I can't say the same.

I could read them without look words up in the dictionary becouse I understood the history in general but I have to admit if I could know many words I ignored while I was reading, I would have to look the meaning.

this is to "Mary of the deaths" Which is your group? We really insist on knowing your groups so that your teachers can follow you up a bit. We also like you to use your real names, we don´t have problems showing who we really are, so next time use your name, please. Rachel, group too, and good news, your level is better than what you thought

I just have finished 'Taste' and I have to say that the end of the story really susprised me. I was so astonished about the father's behavior that I didn't suspect that maybe Pratt was cheating in some form. In my opinion, both Mike and Pratt are obsessed with gambling. Mike, at any price and Pratt doing everything in order to achieve his objectives, even cheating. So, their attitude is deplorable for me. But, actually I've heard a lot of stories about the british tradition of betting on everything and probably this situation could happen in the real world.

And, by the way, I learned a lot of vocabulary related with wine, smells, tastes and stuff that I didn't know before!

I am going to try to make at less one or two posts per week, although it´s really very difficult to me, and this is not an excuse. Is the truth. Not all the spanish people likes lies. I am in the Intermediate II D Group, but, please, I beg you don´t ask me to use my real name. Use my real name in a blog is against my uses, because experience has shown me that it´s a bit risky. But let´s talk about the book, which is the subject of this blog. Have you read Lamb to the Slaughter? In this tale, the policeman had a talk with her wife, and she got mad and kill him. Why she got crossed? May be, he told her that he was going to leave her, but the tale doesn´t explain. What do you think about this?

I´m very sorry for not using my name, but I am very frightened of the Internet, specially what is called "Phishing".

Raquel, I don´t agree to your point, I think is important know (or imagine) for what reason the wife got crossed. But you are rigth, too, because if the wife had not kill to the husband, we don´t have tale.

I've finished the tale: "Lamb to the Slaughter" and although there are lots of words that I don't know, I'm going to try to make a comment about it.

It's true that, at first, it can remember us the amazing scene of Carmen Maura killing her husband with a ham: that's a weapon and not a lamb leg! ;-) but I'm afraid that Mrs Maloney is much more perverse than Maura's character in the Almodovar's film.

I can imagine Mrs. Maloney doing the same with a long list of other husbands in the past, waiting for them with her best smile, killing them, lying to her neighbours and to the police, and finally giggling ... or maybe the author it's only trying to show that, all of us have a dark side behind our common appearance ... this is not for me, of course ;-)

Mary of the deaths, I´m sorry but you really have to use your name or either use that name during the lessons!! Think we are all of us showing ourselves PLAINLY and there are you...hiding. Don´t worry, it´s just a name nobody will find you out but WE WILL recognize you. In this blog we treat everyone with respect and we try to accept their ideas, which by the way, need not be fully and completely our own!!! We can exagerate, invent a little, etc. but we need to be level. NO PRIVILIGES for anyone. So if you persevere in "hiding" yourself I will NOT "talk" to you. the others are free to do as they like.Taste is about gambling and the blidness it can lead one to, the father only really, wants to win, and so does the other, who is worse because he cheats!! not that the father is any better regarding the daughter, but what about the daughter? She is like her father, don´t you think? Personally I wouldn´t have accepted the bet for one car and two houses, marrying someone with THAT TONGUE!!!Thsoe of you who discussed the next story, you ouhgt to wait until we´ve done it in the classroom, just in case some have not read it yet!!

I've finished the second story, "Lamb to the slaughter". I can't understand Mrs Maloney's behaviour. She was like a "perfect" wife and after she kills her husband. I think she didn't really love him because, in my opinion, it's imposible to kill someone you love. So, if she didn't love him, why did she spent so much time on looking after him and cooking for him?

On the contrary,Irene 3ºD, love is possessive, thus when mrs. Maloney understands that her husband is not hers anymore....she kills him!!!! Real love should be generous but passionate love, that of Romeo and Juliet´s is murderous in its nature, because live wothout it you need to know that the object loved is yours and no others, that´s why she kills her husband!! The real shocking question is "are we capable of killling?" The awful answer is "yes", i think we restrain ourselves because we are told it is a sin. St, Paul, killed a lot of people before his conversion, dodn´t he? And he was a Saint!!

When we love somebody, usually we're egoist and sometimes behave irrationally, because love has a very important part of irrationality. Understanding love's reasons is not easy, on the contrary, is very complicated.

So, there're people go to mad, kill or commit suicide because of it. Mrs Maloney feels abandoned, she is jealous, and chooses the murder as if it were a normal thing, the correct solution, even the only option. Then, she remains indifferent, acts with coldness, as if it were the most natural thing of the world.

Love generates a lot of expectations, but too, a lot of frustrations; many of them exist because there're lovers with neurotic behaviors. Mrs Maloney could be one of them.

I have already read “Lamb to the Slauther” and your comments about it, and I´m surprised, because you are not talking about the fact that she was pregnant and worried about the life of the child.

I think her behaviour was so meditated and careful because she was thinking on her child´s life. She was aware of the consequences of her actions, and she didn´t care, but she was scared of hers child future.

Maybe, she killed her husband because she had given him all her life and when she realised this life together was going to end she turned crazy and she killed him. I don´t think she really wanted to kill his husband. I think she did it without thinking what she was doing. She was not a superladykiller, she planed everything after the murder because she didn´t want her child death.

I agree with you Maite and I tried to explain in class that pregnancy could be an important point in the story.

In Carmen's opinion, the murder was caused by a fit of jealousy but I think that Mrs Maloney is too perverse and cold for that. She had planned her perfect life with her husband and their (future) children and she couldn't stand the unexpected changes ...

I've just finished "Man of the south" and I think that this chapter is similar to Taste, because in both, the main characters bet things that they don't want to bet, because this things are his daugther and, in this chapter, his little finger of the left hand.

I have to say that I had read it before in Spanish, and when I say that you will think that, for me, it's easier to understand it; but it isn't becuase I have compared both and my opinion is that the english version is better, probably becuase is the original version.

I've just finished "Man of the south" and I think that this chapter is similar to Taste, because in both, the main characters bet things that they don't want to bet, because this things are his daugther and, in this chapter, his little finger of the left hand.

I have to say that I had read it before in Spanish, and when I say that you will think that, for me, it's easier to understand it; but it isn't becuase I have compared both and my opinion is that the english version is better, probably becuase is the original version.

Sorry for write the previous post without name, but it's my first post and I don't know how to put my name. Thank you!

Alejandra, scroll down click on url and then write your name, i insist on names because we have nothing to hide. Why do you say that Mrs. Maloney was thinking of her child?? Waht has that got to do with murdering your husband? Murdering converts you in a murderer!!! I can´t see your point? In my opinion she is coldblooded murdereress because she does not breakdown in front of the police or the shop owner!!!Remember NO LESSON TOMORROW MONDAY with me

I´m sorry, I think I explained my point awfully. I agree she is a killer. What I was trying (only trying, I´m sorry) to explain was that, in my opinion, she doesn´t breakdown because she was thinking on her child´s life, and she was able to do because as the wife of a detective she knew what they were going to look for.

Maybe I didn´t understand the following part of the story: “It was extraordinary, now, how clear her mind became all of a sudden. She began thinking very fast. As the wife of a detective, she knew quite well what the penalty would be. That was fine. It made no difference to her. In fact, it would be a relief. On the other hand, what about the child? What were the laws about murderers with unborn children? Did they kill then both-mother and child? Or did they wait until the tenth month? What did they do?"

I have already finished the lamb to the slaughter,and well,I have liked it, but not as much as the tale before.In my opinion Mrs.Maloney is a cold and calculting woman, who didn´t expect to fail,and without any tolerance to failure.Maybe it´s a very extreme example to exemplify this bad behavior, but I think that it´s like a borderline psycopathy.I don´t Know, maybe I´m exaggerating.I like so much reading in english

I´m so gald that you enjoy reading in English, you know it is the language best suited for writing!!! I have definetly enjoyed the second story more, there is something horrible about Mrs. Malony so cool and unexpected, i mean her reaction!! But frightening, when we feel destroyed, humans destroy!!

Mrs Malony, is a very clever and cold woman, she probably never wanted to kill his husband at this way, but after being all her marriage taking care of him, and as present of gratitude, she recives a bad new from the person who gives sense to her life. I admire the way that all the frustation and sadness is relieved with a hitting, and I also admire the coldness of acting with the policeman.Probably, she never would regret her way of acting.It's a wonderful story!

I've read "Lamb for slaughter". I think that the contrast between how is Mrs Maloney and how she acts makes the story "unexpected". Mrs Maloney is described as a quite and shy woman. She seems the perfect housewife, and she´s also pregnant, so we can imagen her as a woman who is agree with her life. But she kills her husband in cold blood, like a professional killer. Nobody could expect that. That´s black humour!!

After her second explanation, I agree with Maite on the point that Mrs. Maloney is worried about her baby. Ok, not at first, because she killed her husband in a jealous attack, without thinking of anybody else or even the consequences for herself, but when she realized what she had done, she started to think very fast in order to avoid the punisment and also protect her child.

Anyway, you have to be very cold blooded to kill your husband and acting like anything happened, going to the grocery, cooking the lamb and then, invite the police to eat the murder weapon! That's too much for a housewife...

I think that Lamb for Slaughter it´s a very interesting story.It´s difficult to think that a housewife like Mrs Maloney could kill her husband. We can think she had a jealous attack, but after that she went to the grocery, made the supper and called the police. And when they are looking for the weapon she gives the policeman the lamb for diner... I find it very funny...Mrs Maloney is a very cleaver woman.

I´have just already read the chapter: lamb to the slaughter, and I don´t expect the end, because I thought she told the police she had killed her husband, but she was so cruel, that she thought better way it was give the lamb she had cocked in the oven, because people would think police had killed him.Well, she´s a evil, cruel, a nervous person, and a great actress.But I have liked this chapter.

Well, folks the two stories are completely different but both show that passion can be carried too far. Mrs. Malony is by far the worse of the two because she doesn´t give her husband the opportunity of acquital, as is the case when you bet, I mean if you win then you do not lose your life or your finger!!! I cannot agree with the fact that she is trying to protect her unborn baby, come on, she justs thinks of herself, strikes the blow, kills, thinks again that she could be condemmed to death...and propective baby too, and serves then the weapon for dinner!!! She just couldn´t bear to be dropped, and Boys, be careful, women don´t like to be dropped......

Hi everyone!I don't know why Roald Dahl remaind us in every chapter what horrible we are,the human beeings.In My Lady Love,My Dove ,Pamela and Arthur found out the Snape's secret and they decided that are able to do the some if they're hard work to learn.Carmen unfortunatelly I can't tell you're wrong when you tell that the rich have the power.

man from the south: in my opinion this chapter, it´s like a thriller, a terrorific novel, because the main theme again is the bet, and in this case from my point of view, a cruel bet, so the boy can lose his little finger, and the intention of the old man to want cut him hs finger it´s wrong.I don´t like this tale from the moment, because it´s a ridiculous bet.

Welcome to the blog, Gema. I´t´s good to see that most of you are enjoying the book we´re reading this course although we haven´t got many contributions in your group. It´s a shame people don´t take advantage of this tool to practise and improve their English.I hope they´ll realise how important it is before the end of the course. As for the stories we ´ve read so far, you seem to prefer Lamb to the Slaughter, perhaps because the story is more credible. These murders happen everyday though it´s usually men that commit them.I´ve seen that nobody sympathises with Mrs Maloney,ít´s clear that she´s guilty but we should take into account that she was deeply in love with her husband and devoted to him, and he was going to give her up.She deserves to be punished, but if I were the judge I wouldn´t impose a harsh sentence. We haven´t finished Man from the South yet, so let´s see what happens....

Hi Everyone, I finally found how to arrive at the blog after losing the url.

Mrs Maloney's story shows as how fallen in love she was with him and how that love could make her killing him, but I don't think she wasn't able to know what she was doing.

ok, she has been told by her loved-more-than-words-can-say husband that he will leave her in a very mean way, and she acts in a passional blind revenge, until there, I could understand she could be punished in a judgement not as hard as any other killer, but as the moment she starts to clean all blood, she planned to go to crocery shop to have a withness who could say she was there and manipulate her husband's workmates to get deleted the lamb leg used to smash her husband's head ... I understand she has made every movement in a calculate way to be seen at any moment like a victim who nobody suspects about her, and shows no remorse while she giggles seeing the policemen eating the weapon

Hi everyone! I’m sorry very much, but I completely forgot to write in the blog. First of all, I have to say the book is very interesting, funny and a good choice like the book we read the last year. The tales are interesting, perhaps ones more than others, with a pleasant stile and unexpected endings, like says the title.About the Lamb of the slaughter, I think it’s impossible to sympathise with Mary because she killed her husband without any remorse. I agree with Cristina that she was deeply in love to her husband but this is no an excuse to kill him. He only wants to divorce not kill her. I think the love is only an excuse. She always was, is and will be a killer.About the Man of the south, in my opinion, this tale is a bit boring and very similar to the first tale. We read the same situation: Two men do an incredible and ridiculous bet. I really believe that the only think is important is the final. About the characters, the American sailor is an immature and avaricious boy that doesn’t reflect on the consequences and in his health. He only wants to get the car. The referee and the girl don’t have importance in the history. Carlos has a big problem and he must go to visit the doctor. And the Carlo’s wife is an incredible kind person who has to endure the behaviour of his husband.

Cristina, I´m glad you are a teacher and not a judge!!! you can´t force anyone to love you!!! mrs. maloney should have thought of another way to retain her husband with her!!! And if not, at least she could ahve confessed!!! Think of the baby-to-be educated by such a crazy person...another one for the grave when he announced that he was getting married??

Hello everybody, I'm new in the school and also in the blog. I think it´s a good way to share our opinions.I've already finished the first three stories and I've just beginning the next one. I find a very interesting book. The stories are sometimes sinister, sometimes ironic and funny.

About "Taste", this tale show us how greed blinds people and they are capable of playing the craziest game.

About "Lamb of the slaughter", it's my favorite until now. I do sympathize with Mrs. Maloney. Maybe because the author describes her like a woman in love and a patient and submissive housewife. Instead, we don't have much information about the husband, only he's a cold man who doesn't care about his wife and his future child. I really liked the end when she was giggling because the police had just eaten the evidence.

About "Man from the south", I don't like much this story. It's repeats the topic of the crazy wager and I think the end isn't as unexpected as the other tales endings. Although, it's funny the way of describing Carlos's accent.

Hello everybody, I'm new in the school and also in the blog. I think it´s a good way to share our opinions.I've already finished the first three stories and I've just beginning the next one. I find a very interesting book. The stories are sometimes sinister, sometimes ironic and funny.

About "Taste", this tale show us how greed blinds people and they are capable of playing the craziest game.

About "Lamb of the slaughter", it's my favorite until now. I do sympathize with Mrs. Maloney. Maybe because the author describes her like a woman in love and a patient and submissive housewife. Instead, we don't have much information about the husband, only he's a cold man who doesn't care about his wife and his future child. I really liked the end when she was giggling because the police had just eaten the evidence.

About "Man from the south", I don't like much this story. It's repeats the topic of the crazy wager and I think the end isn't as unexpected as the other tales endings. Although, it's funny the way of describing Carlos's accent.

Hello Everyone!I'm lost in the blog because this is my firt time that I write here, but I thik It´s a good way to comunicate and express our opinios.

About the third chapter "Man from the South": I think It's a little repetitive, because the author wrote about bets in the first chapter. However, I don't have doubts about the end of this tale will be surprising, and I think that the old man won't cut the little finger of the boy, but he won't lose his car neither.

Besides, this chapter is funny, when the author writes the expressions of the old man. The narrator thinks that this man can be Italian or Spanish, and then the author writes the words of the old man than the Spanish peolple speak. For example "dese" or pleess". At the begining I looked some words at the dictionary, and then I realized that these words were invented.

I´m very glad to see new posts. I agree with Olimpia and Unai that Mrs Maloney doesn´t show any remorse, and love should never be an excuse to kill, what I meant with the lenient sentence is that in this case there are extenuating circumstances that should be considered before imposing a sentence. I´m sure I wouldn´t be a good judge, Carmen,but I still think many people would be capable of doing cruel things when madly in love. As for Man from the South, it´s true that the subject is the same as in the first story but perhaps a bit more credible as in this case it is the young man, of his own free will, the one who is ready to lose one finger for a luxury car.We don´t know how many people with financial problems would be willing to lose their little finger or something more for a better a better economic situation.

MAN FROM THE SOUTH. In my opinion about the three stories, this is the more enjoiyble one.TASTE I founded it a little difficult to understand and borring. About LAMB TO SLAUGTER was easier than the first one but a very knowed and famoous story.And THE MAN OF THE SOUTH was the easiest and interesant one. At the begining I was looking for the word "Dat" and it was impossible to find it and then it was when I realise that the autor wanted to disimulate and spanish accent. It was funy and it made me to know who was speaking so I couldn't get lost.The vocabulary was very simple so, It was more amusant and faster to read it. There was more activity and I founnd it a very original and intriguing story. It's as well written that I could feel my finger chopped up. Every body has a price so I don't know if a finger of mine could be my price.

Hello, everybodyIs the first time I write in the blog because it’s very difficult to me, much more than read.I’m enjoying a lot reading the tales, and I’m so glad to see that I’m able to understand the context quite well, of course, after read, I must look for many words in the dictionary.In my opinion is better and easier to read tales than novels for our english level, because you want to know what happens at the end and enjoys yourself more.For example, the other day I fell down in the metro stairs because I was reading one of those tales.By the way, I saw a Wilkie Collins picture on the bottom, he is one of my prefers writers, I read most of his novels, but in spanish, may be one day I can read it in english.

Welcome to the blog, Marta, you see it wasn´t so difficult to post your comment.It´s good to see you found Man from the South easy to understand, it´s the third story and you´re getting used to Roald Dahl so the more you read thre easier you´ll find it to understand his works.The end was as unexpected as in the other two stories and I also think that his descriptions are so vivid that you could feel the chopping knife,the old man was absolutely out of his mind but so was the woman,to lose one finger could beunderstandable, to lose three is greed and vice.Marta notice these words: "amusing", "interesting", not "amusant", "interesant". Also the past of "find" is "found" not "founded"

Mar. 3ºCHelloMaite, I heard the same thing in our last class, but I think we have to look for subjunctive forms in Shelley´s poem ("Lift not the painted veil which those who live", the fifth post of the reading web).I found one, in the second line:"though unreal shapes be pictured there..."I think that Carmen also told us to look for subjunctive forms in british newspapers. I have been reading some news of The Guardian and The Times websites and I didn´t find anyone.But I think I found a sentence that can be a way to express subjunctive:"The poll, which also shows economic optimism at its highest level since 1997, suggests that Labour may be benefiting from a return of a "feelgood" factor as the country heads out of recession."(The article talks about a survey of general elections in the United Kingdom)Good bye!

Mar, you have found a subjunctive in the painted veil and also in the paper, it being subjunctive equivalent. Well done. Cristina I know that we have excuses for the faults we commit...but love and murder seem to be too much opposite sides, i mean the nature of love is giving...if you really love someone you´d rather he/she lived than be dead. Mrs. Maloney was possisseive and she felt the loss of finding herself alone, rejected, intlerable..that why she strikes him dead. This is not love, this is selfishness!! I´d like to suggest that you ask your students how many would give a finger for a 200 m flat in their favourit part of Madrid....we dd it in class and....ask my students what they said, or Folks, tell them.Ana, be very careful and don´t fall again...though I´m very gald you are liking the book. When you start reading novels in English, however you will see that a novel is better than a short, particularly for discussion and analysis of the characters.

I´m from 3ºCHello,I´ve been looking for subjuntives in the poem "Lift not the painted veil which those who live call life". I´ve found only one, like Mar, it is in the second line "... though unreal shapes be pintured there..."Bye.

my lady love, my dove: Hello, from my point of view it doesn´t say anything what will happen in the end, and it,s a little strange this chapter, because pamela not mention why pamela wants to spy from another room to the couple; simply she doesn´t like them; and well I think she is a gossip and manipulative person, because she does her husband put a micro in the other room to spy their and he didn´t want to do it.

About "My Lady Love, My Dove":At the beginig of the reading, I don't understad very well the charpter and I had to look at the dictionary a lot of words. But then, when Paloma suggests her husband to spy their guests I understand better the story. And I think that Paloma is a gossip and peculiar woman, but I think she knows more information about this couple and she wants to spy to confirm her thiking. In the other hand, her husband is weak and he doesn't say that he thinks, such as the behaviour of his wife.The end of this charpater will be unexpected, but maybe Paloma and her husband could be spyed too, for example.

About the chapter Skin, I think that the story is very interesting. Drioli is an interesting character because he had manythings before The First World War and between The First and The Second. The tale tells many details about his last life but hardly about his actually.He as married, had work... and after, he lost everything and he sold himself just only for a better live.

Gema,it´s true that we don´t know the real motives for Pamela spying her guests, apart from being a gossip and manipulative person, but I think that many people would like to know what other people do and talk about in private, you only have to see the success of Big Brother,though it´s not the same because they know they´re being watched.Be careful with the auxiliaries " Pamela DOES not mention..." and "..she MAKES her husband put a micro..."Ludi, the end of the chapter is unexpected but less surprising than in the previous stories, you´ll see. As for the husband, I don´t think he does what his wife tells him to do because he is weak, I´d rather say he´s fascinated or blinded by his wife,...the way he talks about her height, he seems to think she is superior. Notice: ..."to look UP a word in the dictionary" ...." he doesn´t say WHAT he thinks..." Carmen, we did talk in class about the price of our little fingers but the thought of losing them for materialistic things was not very popular,there doesn´t seem to be many ambitious people in the group, but when it comes to other things like being lucky in love, they said they could give it a thought,... if it were possible to exchange a finger for the perfect partner.

Cristina, I agree with you Pamelas's husband is fascinated by his wife, because he describes her with a mix of fair and admiration, but at the same time he is weak, because he can't deny her a single order, so she knows whe can ask him what she wants. I like Pamela a lot, because she is strong, clever and her intuition is admirable. This is an exciting story!

3ºCHi!The story "My Lady Love, My Dove" talks about how human beings cheat to get what they want. We don’t know why Pamela wants to spy her guests. I think that Pamela is a bored woman with a lot of money and free time who needs to do that to feel she is alive. And at the end she found a new challenge; learn how to cheat playing bridge.

MY LADY LOVE,MY DOVE.Above all, Cristina, I'm very pleased to recieve your answerd to my first note. Very thanks.About the story I'm going to star speaking by the end of the story. It's incredible how people are so ambicious to do things as w're are reading on this book. One of those things is teaching in games.The more cheats more unhonest we are. First the hosters put a microphone to listen what their guests say and just only because they are bored and they've met that couple just only once.In the second hand the guests cheat because they need money and it seems to be their way of life.But when the hosters found out that their guests were cheating they couldn't say any thing about it because the first cheating were themslves , it's when they decides to cheat again doing the same as the others one.In my opinion, ambitiously is very dangerous.It's, as we say in Spanish, is like a little ball that becomes little by little bigger.Ambitiously is one of the worse people's characteristic I know. Murderes, wars,bad relationships between people........most of that cases are because of the ambitiously.

My Lady...well, quite honestly I´m very surprised that, being Spanish you are not aware that there is nothing that fasccinates more than knowing about other people and getting inside their bedrooms. Why do think that the yellow press is so popular in this country and how many programmes, successful ones, do we have on TV, or have we had for yearssssss!!! The problem is that most of us are not rich enough,to have our way and spy others, as most of us haven´t got big enough houses to receive guests!!!! Cristina, it would be a very good thing to tell your very positive (I would say naive) group that such a thing as the perfect partner DOES NOT EXIST so they would already be minus one finger..lucky that they didn´t bet!!! By the way, tell them from me to stick to "the Primitiva"...a lot safer...What do I always say, folks? "I always have the....students" I hope that, now, you see why....

Marta, it´s true that ambition is dangerous but to a certain extent.We all need a little ambition if we want to succeed in life, the difficulty lies in finding the balance.When we find a job we should have some ambition if we want to be promoted.When we study any subject matter, English for instance, we should have some ambition if we want to improve our level, and in many other situations in life we need some ambition to achieve our goals.Remember: "ambition" is a noun, "ambitious" an adjective and "ambitiously" an adverb."worse"is the comparative, "worst" the superlative.Carmen,some people still have hopes of finding the perfect partner,and who knows, they might exist although we haven´t had the pleasure to meet them yet.We can´t tell people that their dreams will never come true.

Once that I've read the story It made me feel a little empty. I think It's borring ,without any mystery.But in the other hand , in my opinion, It's a very good story about vocabulary.Not every body has been in a cruise but in general w've ever been in a ship.So the vocabulary is very interesting if we want to do a voyage in a future. This's very important because nowdays is very typical for travelling by ship.I think the double mean of "Dip in the pool" one of the meaning or the real meaning is to take a bath in the swimming pool and the other one iIt's that actually Mr. Botibol took a real bath but in the sea and he was getting down like the pool he've had done the last night. He got what he deserved for being a cheating and a candid man.

dip in the pool: hello first of all I want to say it´s a strange tale because, it doesn´t say anything interesting what makes you are surprised, so it´s true this chapter contains a lot of new words about voyage but the story is not fascinating for me.

Cristina, I favour the truth, if as a young inexperienced person you are told a "fairy tale" by the time you discover that your Prince is a FROG you´ve married him and have two children...who are the innocent victims of your "idealistic" way of looking at things. Marriage is a project for live, or should be, it is not a trivial afair.Galloping Foxley is interesting, if you look at it from the perspective that sometimes things, disagreeable ones in particular, are things of our imagination, they do not exist. What do you think?

galloping foxley:hello everybody; this chapter is a little sad by de moment for me, because of young boy had done a lot of things to other person, like warm the seat of the lavatory, or clean Foxley´s shoes...it´s like being a slave, and by this reason when I have read this part of this tale I became to feel sad worried about the young boy. I haven´t finished to read the chapter, but I expect the situation changed

Hi people! It's been a while since my last post! I would like to say something about the tale "Dip in the pool", because I just read what someone said about it and I disagree. "Anónimo" said the tale doesn't say anything interesting but I really think it reflects what someone can do in desperate circumstances. Sometimes, when you have fear, you can't think clearly, you feel confused about what to do and, of course, you get totally wrong.

By the way, I agree with Carmen, the perfect partner doesn't exist. It's not about telling people that their dreams will never come true, it's about realizing that nobody is perfect, that's all.

Dip in the pool...some of you found this tale uninteresting, like Marta and anónimo( who are you?),but apart from the great descriptions in all the tales there´s always something which makes you think about the situations the characters are going through.It´s not so unusual to find people who are eager to get money for old rope and when they are about to lose it the anxiety drives them to the limit and they end up doing the silliest things.I´m sure we´ve all heard of people in such situations.Galloping foxley..I agree with Gema, it´s really sad the way older students treated the younger ones. It´s gratuitous cruelty and again Dahl´s descriptios are so detailed and vivid that you can almost feel you are in that changing room. Carmen, it´s true that sometimes we imagine things which don´t exist, in the case of Perkins the reason could be that he felt the stranger was trespassing his daily routine.Some people find comfort and peace of mind in having their lives regulated and organised around routine,and if someone breaks their peace they can feel the anger inside them to the extent that they imagine they are their enemies.

What do you think about Drioli (Skin)? Maybe he paid a painter to make a copy of the picture in animal leather, he sold it, and after that he lived a long wealthy life. I hope so, but it looks like he didn’t.

Cristina, it is very true that routine is so welcome that if it is disturbed we can be annoyed!! Thus we can start imagining all sorts of things. It is indeed tragic to have this sort of abuse from an older student, but then children are always taken advantage of as are women, or anybody who is in any way inferior. Are you horrified because you had not noticed we were like this or because you are sudenly aware that you are one of the club?I´m afraid, Maite Drioli is dead!! how many poor die in the hands of the rich? We have it in the news everyday!! Was it in Brazil were they killed people to obtain their fat for cosmetics? Only a couple of weeks ago??? Hello!! yes, it is us Human Beings!!!

About Galloping Foxley,I had a rare sensation when I finished this tale, between sadness and confusion. The ending is quite ambiguous and it isn't clear if the newcomer is or isn't Foxley.Maybe, Perkins' obsession by routine is due to the horrible experiences with Foxley at school. I feel he is indeed a bit unbalanced. These experiences can upset anyone.As always, I liked much the detailed descriptions although I don't like the ending. Perhaps, I had already shocked by the changing room episode.

This story reminded me strongly a film by Frank Capra, Arsenic and Old Lace (Arsénico por compasión), but I don´t know if it´s older than the story. It´s based on a theatre play which was a big success in USA. It´s about two old ladies who had a room to rent, and who killed the men who hired the room. Although it doesn´t seem, it´s a comedy film. Cary Grant made the role of the old ladies nephew.

In Alfred Hitchcock Psycho (Psicosis), Norman Bates had a lot of dissecated animal (mainly birds)in his house (actually a motel), and he had done them, and something more... Well, I suposse we all know the film.

The character of the painter, in this story, has an interesting quote: "The only art which is innmoral, is the art done by amateurs". As art student, I think that art is only inmoral when it´s made with inmoral purposes, but I think his point of view is interesting.

Hi!I've liked "Nunc Dimittis" story. I think Lionel represents all men: they get angry because of a silly thing, they take revenge with a very unpleasant behavior and after, they expect that you forgot it and forgave them.Now, I'm reading "William and Mary" story. I don't know how it's going to finish but I don't liked it for the moment because I think it's quite disgusting.

I think Nunc Dimittis is the best story of all the book, at the moment. It´s a bit like these old movies of Frankenstein (which doesn´t have much in common with the book). I mean, the morals is the same: you shouldn´t play to be God, because the results could became against you. It make me think, too, about a mistery novel, The killing machine (La machine á assesiner), by Gaston Leroux, who wrote also The phantom of the Opera, but very few people know in Spain the classic horror litterature. It´s too a story about a brain. Do you know that the Russian films with head of dogs barking without body does actually exist?

About Nunc DimittisLionel have punished Janet without speak her to ask for explanations about her remark, even it could have been a Gladys’s lie. Anyway the revenge was very good and very sophisticated, I liked it. Lionel had to work a lot to do it, that it is why I never make revenges, because I’m so lazy.

Ana, I have to tell you I’m a bit frightened. I’ve already read your last post and I’ve seen you are in 3 C, so I’m in your class… You never make revenges, because you are too lazy! I don’t know who you are, but I’ll try to find it out. I hope that I haven’t done anything to bother you! Also, I would like to say you look great today.:)

Mariajosé. I had the same feeling as you after reading Galloping Foxley. What happened in the changing room was really sad and and at the same time infuriating, how can such behaviour be tolerated? As for the ending of the story, it´s a bit disconcerting,it makes you aware of the power of our imagination when we feel obsessed or disturbed by painful memories.Watch the passive: "..had BEEN shocked...."

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I want to talk about a common topic in most of the stories of the book, wich is the obsession of people of earning money doing horrible things.For example, in the first story ("Taste"), the principal character bet his own daughter for a house. Something similar happens in other two stories: "Man from the South" and "Dip in the pool". In this two stories apears again the topic of gambling. In the first a boy bet one finger for winning a car and in the second a man lost his life for winning a bet.In the last story we have read does not appear any bet, but it is also related with risking your life for money. At the end of the story, two people made offers for the picture of te back of the principal character. Finally, he chose one of them and this decision probably toke him to death.In all of these stories there is a common characteristic of the characters: the greed. This was probably a very interesting topic for Roal Dahl, because he uses it in many of his narrations.

hello everybody: I want to say about the neck´s chapter, that I don´t like this tale, because it´s too bored to me, although I think the descriptions of the landscape the author made are very good and makes you can image the images, the sculptures, the garden in general, and this is the most I liked

Miguel,I´m of the same opinion as you, Roald Dahl seems to be obsessed with gambling as it is present in most of the stories. I guess that many other writers have the same problem, they can´t get rid of their obsessions and can´t separate their work from their thoughts, but doesn´t it happen to all of us in a way? Perhaps, we, teachers, also end up leading all the discussions in class to the topics which interest us.And what about film directors, and screen writers, some of them always repeat the same situations, and their characters follow the same pattern.Notice:.."obsession with or about..." not "obsession of..."

Gema, remember the difference between "bored" and " boring"This chapter is "boring". I hope you enjoy the next one.

Hello!We are finishing Dahl´s book and we had talked about principal topics which we can find in tales. We noticed that women usually play the leading role. I think there are two kinds of women: silly women which are punished by their husbands or another relative male. And women which seem naive and finally are more clever than the others. "The landlady" is a good example of the second one.Rosa Intermediate II gives us another example of two lovely naive old ladies whose acts are just the opposite. "Arsenic by old lace" it´s a wonderful film.I would also recommend another classical film with a special old lady: "The ladykillers" (1955). And it is the british "ladykillers" that I recommend. (I hope this last sentence it will be a cleft sentence..."Good night!

Hello:I’ve just fineshed read “Nunc Dimittis”. I enjoy myself very much seeing how Lionel prepared his revenge, without thinking in the consequences. I believe Lionel set in motion moved by his hatred. He believes all words that the gossip Mrs.Ponsaby, completely drunk, told him one night about Janet de Pelagia. I think Mrs. Ponsaby is fall in love with Lionel and she wants to separate them. Lionel didn’t think if the information could be false. He only believed and began to prepare his plan. He thought in all details an arrangement to complete his plan. He talked with the painter, went abroad and disappeared during four mounths. The results we’ll see in the next part. Now we don’t discover the end. The most interesting thing for me in this book is that the structures are joined very well and it is easy to difference the sentence. Of course, the best is the way how he writes the chapter that, indeed, you hardly ever get to find out the end.

This chapter, "Nunc Dimitis" is more interesting, exciting and intriguing than the previous.I'm enjoying because the author begin telling us a special secret and finally the story changes, and the man, who looked like snooty and boring, he is calculating and vindictive. He thought to kill her.

I think that he is crazy because he have charged a "special portrait" and maybe he will show it foreverybody can watch that woman.

This chapter, "Nunc Dimitis" is more interesting, exciting and intriguing than the previous.I'm enjoying because the author begin telling us a special secret and finally the story changes, and the man, who looked like snooty and boring, he is calculating and vindictive. He thought to kill her.

I think that he is crazy because he have charged a "special portrait" and maybe he will show it foreverybody can watch that woman.

I have been reading "Great Expectations" blog until 12th of December and I still couldn't find a cleft sentence, I’m sorry.I’m very envy of their writing level; I would like to think that in two years more we can improve our English and write as well as they do. I saw they have an anonymous that is very interested in make they rich with a great job!See you tomorrow.

I´ve also enjoyed Nunc Dimitis more than the previous story.It´s so catching that you can´t put it down, and as usual the end is unpredictible,it´s this way of writing that makes Dahl´s tales so attractive for movie directors.

As for the three main characters I don´t really know who is more evil.Lionel and Janet had both been hurt before so they acted out of sheer revenge, but Gladys didn´t have any reason to behave so cruelly with both, as neither of them had done any harm to her.

I have been reading the comments of the 5th years and I am not only impressed by the level of the writing, but also I am a little bit depressed because of the long way we have to walk to reach the level…

Back to Tales of the unexpected, I am really looking forward to reading another book because I am fed up with all the deaths, crimes and bets. It is a funny story that I want to read.

I have already finished the book, and I can’t say which story I like the most. But, maybe the one which is called Royal Jelly is the story that I specially enjoyed less than the others. I found that story really disgusting. It was the image of a bee-baby that made me feel sick. Poor little baby, how a father can experiment with his own child!

The last chapter "The landlady" has been very easy for reading, but I haven't understood the end, because it's so subjective and a little clear too.

The landlady is a peculiar woman and she looks like a witch. I have understood that she stuffed her pets and she thougt that her guests were pets too, and maybe she killed her guests. But I don't know why is the reason because she prefers the young men.

THE LANDLADY. In my opinion this story is a little shilly.It´s so idiot that It didn´t make me to be intrigue at all.About the history I don´t know if I´ve anderstud it, because It´s a such simple story ,that it makes me to be not very sured.Any way, what I think about the story, It´s that the misterous landlady likes young men that maybe she´ve killed the two other men. And perhaps it could happend the same with Billy.

Ludy and Marta, I hope that after watching the film in class you understood the end,for me it was pretty obvious that Billy would end up being stuffed like the parrot and the dog.As for the reason why she picks young men I don´t really know,but Dahl seems to depict women as evil and vindictive creatures.

Ludy: ..I would HAVE run...."the reason why"..not"why is the reason because"

Marta: ."make" is followed by infinitive without "to", except in the passive..it made me BE SURE

I like very much the last two tales. They are funny and entertainment. I think is more enjoyable “William and Mary” than “The Landlady”, but both got to catch my attention. The movie of “The Landlady” was good, but I prefer to read the book because you can imagine and invent your own end. I, sincerely, believe that the end is very obvious or when I read it, I understand the situation well. I think too the movie is important because I could recognize many words, situations and the different parts of the tale. For me, it was very interesting. The William and Mary is a vindictive tale. It’s an excellent example of revenge. The role that Mary plays is exceptional. Now it’s her turn and now she can live the way which she considers the best without hearing her husband’s advices. She is a bit cruel with her husband but I think is a result of a whole life living behind her husband. The Landy’s experiment is as curious as extravagant.

Olimpia, I´m glad you liked the film and were able to identify some of the words we had commented in class.As for the last story, William and Mary,I also enjoyed it a lot. I found it very funny, I´m looking forward to seeing the film as I can imagine Mary scolding the eye in the basin, and the eye trying to answer back.I don´t think she was so cruel, she had to bear that insufferable husband for years. It served him right!!

Notice:"entertainment" is a noun, you should haveused "entertaining" " I like something or someone very much" adverb after the direct object.

I've already read "Parson's Pleasure" and I don´t like very much this chapter, because the begining of the story is so slow and there are many specific words about forniture, therefore I prefer the two previous tales. However, I think the end of this story is very funny, and I'd like seeing the reaction of Mr. Boggins. Because he thougth the three men weren´t very clever and he wanted to cheat, so at the end of the story he has paid his arrogance and swindle. And now he has 4 useless old legs.

Ludi, I also found it a bit boring but I liked the moral.People are too greedy, especially art and antique dealers, you only have to see how rich they all get with the business.Mr boggis was not only greedy but also deceitful,that´s why I enjoyed the end of the story a lot. Notice:"I´d like TO SEE..."

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